Four and more

The House band is always the theatrical support, the readers, the jazzers. This one was led by Argentinian bassist Emilio. He'd just taken possession of a new hand-made six-string fretted, 30-inch scale, modern design, neck through, kitted with flatwounds. I didn't recognise the pickups he named (like Bartolini) and don't recall the preamp. Thus do two bassist speak! He's also the head off music on board. We chatted about more and broader things than just music, learning of Argentina and family, not least an aunt who has performed as Evita and more on Broadway and the West End. Very cool. And his interest in composition, experimental, contemporary, if I understood correctly. So an interesting interaction. The band was made up as a recent combination: tenor and drums from US (Chicago?), guitar from Poland. Not sure of the trom. I haven't caught them yet in a reading role but maybe will tonight (the curtain is fixed!) but they have done light jazz in the main Piazza and more challenging and interesting outings in another, smaller, later hour bar. Good stuff.



Perhaps my most immediate joy is from Meridian. It's a pop/covers sextet with male and female vocals, guitar, bass, keys, drums. The core, keys, bass, drums, is from Liverpool and presumably pulled the band together for cruising. The singers and guitar have just been with them for a month or so. Nonetheless, they have an impressive repertoire of hits of the decades and do it well. A male vocalist with an unusually high voice that combines well with a higher female with a cutting, slightly nasal but pleasant voice and a guitar to let go for solo. The backing otherwise is solid and supportive and constant, as befits the music. Just great fun with a playlist to entertain and authentic arrangements and interpretations. Fun. Beatles, ABBA, Blame it on the boogie or Motown or more; I thoroughly enjoyed this band.

The House Band were led by Emilio Rivas (bass) with Sebastian Turowski (guitar), Dylan Loew (alto), Toby Carr (trombone) and Robert Fletcher (drums). Meridian comprised Jay Hepple and Savanah Bullough (vocals), Robert Tew (guitar), Matt Smith (keys), Alex Mietke (bass) and Josh Holcroft (drums). They performed on the Majestic Princess. 

This is CJBlog post no. 2,550

Twos and threes

I didn't expect authentic latin sensibility with an outfit called the Pacific Duo but it we did get it and it was impressive. Yadira (Clara) Delgado sang to the accompaniment of Juan Carlos Alvavado on keys. We got a range of latin tunes, bossas, tangos, Cuban, some standards. Some authentic singing but also that unique stylistic awareness of latin. Obviously authentic and learnt in place. Juan played piano with synth accompaniment for a bass line and drum machine. The bass line was not overly complex but the solos and piano presence was, all latin timing and syncopations and telling harmonies and dissonances. Al this tends to happen in the presence of chatter and bar talk, but his style was real, reminding me of complex movements and interplays of samba and like bands and associated dances. Not at all the often tame jazzy takes on latin that I know and sometimes play but an avalanche of colour and movement that is what this music is, but still somewhat unexpected and too seldom heard in my place. There's considerable latin presence in Canberra. I think maybe I should get out for it for this was exciting and an eye-opener.



More classical with the string trio called Capriccio. Three women, violin, viola, cello, playing popular but worthy musics, Mozart and the like. Decent players, well trained, Ukrainian (odd how often they are Eastern European and women, presumably given their training and perhaps other opportunities), pleasant and capable. Then another gig that surprised me. They played Beatles, Michael Jackson and more. I heard a dirty bass-cum-cello on Billie Jean and was taken aback. I looked for a pedal but there was none. Then I noticed drums, so a backing track, and the recorded bass was that dirt. So not quite that authentic but diverse. They didn't express a particular love for these pop styles, but they played them. So be it. This is pleasant music, yes, but not trivial, and they are capable players, so they had a decent, quiet following and I was one.

Yadira (Clara) Delgado (vocals) was accompanied by Juan Carlos Alvavado (piano, keys, e-drums) as Pacific Duo. Capriccio String Trio comprised Margaret Maidink (violin), Maryana Yenkalo (viola) and Elena Beduschenko (cello). They performed on the Majestic Princess.

Solos

The soloists are easy to identify. Cameron Dunbar was an Aussie pleasure. A strumming guitarist singing popular, often country-ish songs or singer songwriter fare. Satisfying interpretations of a string of songs we all know and a pleasant demeanour and a light and expressive touch on the strumming. The style tends to the background, but he'd done it well and he had a following.

George Statescu was the classical pianist, Eastern European as is often the case with the classical performers. First up, I heard him tending to the Chopin, Liszt, romantic era and the intensity of the Russians. Sometimes fairly subdued, other times laying into the emotionally heavy. But at another outing, it was the standard Secret love then into some pop rock number, so I was a little flummoxed. Again one with listeners rather than dancers. I had expected no surprises, but in the end, I was surprised! As for surprises, I even saw him sit in with the House band one night.

Cameron Dunbar (guitar, vocals) and George Statescu (piano) performed on the Majestic Princess.

Resorting to cruises

We are sailing off Milford Sound after the trip across the Ditch. The Ditch, as confirmed by a trivia question today. Not the Tasman, much to the amusement of an Englishman in our trivia team. This is one of the things you do on a cruise, along with a pop choir (at least something I do) and drinking and shows and eating and meeting people. We are on the Majestic Princess on a 12 day cruise Syd>NZ>Syd. A return to cruising post-pandemic, hoping not to be struck down. Let's hope. There nary a mask aboard, or at least in view, at least so far. That might change. In the meantime, we are eating and meeting and that the essence of a cruise for me. It's a floating resort, after all, so not an intellectual experience, or a challenging travel experience, but it is an opportunity to meet people from outside Canberra and that interests me, even if many of the Australians know Canberra well enough or have kids here. The other observation is age. This is not a young population, even if it is big. MP is 140,000 tons and able to carry 3,500 passengers so quite big and that can change the experience. Also, given a trip to NZ in the era of La Nina, this is also not a warm, sunny trip. Plenty of proud grandparents, even great-gps of recognisable ages. We are ensconced at our bar as a place to meet people, and always sharing tables, again as a means to meet people, and otherwise chatting where feasible. And listening to the bands, which is the interest of CJ.

I always expect decent entertainment on a cruise ship. Not always stars, despite the story of the Seekers, but decent musicians and entertainers who go through a selection process and work hard on the job. Often well trained, on the job or formally. So classical players will appear, piano or strings, or covers bands with long lists of tracks on instant recall, and a show band that can read its way through often well- or messilly-annotated charts. That's another skill, of course. The whole tends to the predictable, the popular, the variety, but decently done. I have yet to watch a proper show on this trip and, given problems with raising the curtain in the theatre, we may not, but we did see the dancers, perhaps 8, lithe and long, bouncing through, squinting at a mate, perhaps, running the Zumba or Line dancing class. You need some movement given the food and grog on tap. All a part of the resort experience. So, what of the resident musos?

End of eight

It's the end of a series.  A series of eight concerts with invited players from interstate, run by Alex Raupach Verity Lane.  I've got to the last three only, but enjoyed them immensely.  Let's hope the series reappears.  It reminds me a days a decade back when musicians and bands toured though Canberra, Syd>Melb or vice versa, with workshops at the ANUSOM.  Good days.  These were great concerts.  This last night was pianist Wilbur Whitta, again one with Canberra connections but also a Masters from the Royal School of Music, just beside the Royal Albert Hall, that Albert Hall in London.  Impressive as was his playing.  He teamed with Chris Pound and Micah Heathwood for the night, and a few tunes to finish with Alex and Tom Fell.  We caught the second set only, with a bopper then a few possible originals, then a longing trumpet tune, and possibly a Miles of late'70s vintage and a finish on a rarer standard, You stepped out of a dream.  I found Wilbur as expansive, lightly phrased but complex, rich in substitutions and dissonances.  Lovely.  Chris again solid and richly toned but exploratory.  Micah busy and driving and forceful.  A worthy end to a challenging series.

Wilbur Whitta (piano) led a trio with Chris Pound (bass) and Micah Heathwood (drums) at Verity Lane.  Alex Raupach (trumpet) and Tom Fell (tenor) sat in for a few tunes. 

Looking for Al...

First up for the night was the Wharf Review, this time called Looking for Albanese, obviously channeling Looking for Alibrandi.  Also obviously with suggestions of a tentative government, perhaps justified after 2019.  Again the four Wharfies, variously musicians and scriptwriters and singers and performers.  The themes are various characters in Australian and occasional International political matters.  The short sketches are (almost?) always pop or musical numbers rethemed and relyricised.  Oh, and a lengthy rhyme from Katy Gallagher as Finance Minister.  The whole started with four singing dummies then through all manner of pollies.  I noticed a preponderance of skits on Labor matters, no doubt following the election that trounced Morrison and his do-nothing spendthrifts.  I don't think Dutton, leader of the opposition, even appears (think Yepon/Yeppoon: I have no idea of spelling but I'm not from Queensland unlike Dutton).  Barnaby and Katter as apt.  Jackie Lambie appeared as a boot-skooter to introduce and sing at Tamworth.  The Greens got a spot as the alt.Wiggles.  Amusing if pretty obvious.  There was a fabulous scene of Gillard, Keating and Rudd at National Conference.  Similarly, Albanese was consistently believable.  The night started fairly tame, I thought, with limited laugh and applause, but finished with a take on West Side Story and Albo and mates, with dance/song numbers from the Rumble and Gee, Officer Krupke.  Most impressive and the biggest laugh and best received and apt as the last number of the night.  Not the belly laughs of previous Wharves that I've seen, but they are a hoot.

Jonathan Biggins, Mandy Bishop, Drew Forsythe and Phillip Scott appeared in the Wharf Review called Looking for Albanese at the Canberra Playhouse.

Selbies

I only get to Selby and friends when someone has a ticket to share.  There was one the other night.  The theme was Tributes and legacies.  The pieces were Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin, Mendelssohn Piano trio no.2 Cmin and Schumann Piano trio no.1 Dmin.  Just three instruments sounding very different, so their sound were wonderfully distinct and I was taken by their virtuosity, for this it was.  The two strings were perhaps clearer than the Steinway piano, although Selby commented very positively on the piano provided in Llewellyn.  They will be back to the NGA next year so another piano altogether, although the intimacy will make up somewhat.  The works were of an era and hugely impressive.  The playing was, as mentioned, clear and exemplary.   Unfair of me, maybe, but not all my cup of tea, at least this night, even if it was hugely impressive all round.  Not cheap, but that's Llewellyn, too, I guess.  Llewellyn in its chamber guise, curtained at mid-hall, that is.  So, exemplary for the style.

Kathryn Selby (piano) led a trio with Natsuko Yoshimoto (violin) and Richard Narroway (cello) at Llewellyn Hall.

More war

Stuart performed a piano concert to carry on Robert last week.  Another Prokofiev War sonata as the main work of the day, this one no.7 from 1939-1942.  (Robert's was no.8).  The years say it all: premiered as the Russian Army gained the upper hand in Stalingrad.  Three movements, first up brutal and unsettled then sorrowful and dark, then violent and tumultuous.  And that was just the first movement.  The second was more emotional, sentimental; the third was a toccata in 7/8, explosive and drenched with chromaticism.  All suitable for a war work and heavy and demanding.  Especially for Stuart.  Prokofiev was sandwiched by Scriabin.  To start, 9 preludes in 2 opuses.  All short, perhaps 1-2mins, but wonderfully expressive.  These were from a time of his influence by Chopin.  To end, an etude written at age 16, expressive and melodic.  A worthy pairing with Robert's concert of the previous week and some admirable playing throughout.

Stuart Long (piano) performed Scriabin and Prokofiev at Wesley.

Job well done

Job well done and lots of fun.  Thanks all.  I ended up playing 5 performances of the 10 session series.  Never perfect but always pretty OK.   Locked in the dark pit, just seeing the light for a final pic after the final performance.  And here it is.  With most of the orchestra present, but not all.  

The Queanbeyan Players presented Gilbert & Sullivan  HMS Pinafore at TheQ.  Matt Greenwood (musical director, yellow shirt) conducted the orchestra.

Waves on sand

I got to Verity Lane for another of Alex Raupach's 8-evening series, sadly coming to an end soon.  Each show includes a visiting or feature artist with the house band, but this was a doozy.  It was called Waves on Sand, the title of a piece written for this event by Alex, was located in a quiet room out the back and featured 3 visitors, just not 1.  And worthy visitors they were.  Chloe Kim is a renowned drummer in numerous ensembles and student/associate of Simon Barker; a member of one of her bands and also from Sydney, Harley Coleman, came on guitar; Melbourne-based trumpeter Ashley Ballatt, with a string of plays with international renowns, Terri-Lynne Carrington, Linda Oh,  Dave Douglas and Vijay Iyer no less.  The locals were Chris Pound and Tom Fell, both local experts.  Actually, both Chloe and Ashley had history at the ANU at the time of the SOM ructions, so some local presence.   So a promising program.  The concert was a series of tunes, written by all members, including Chris and Tom and Alex, of various styles, even touching one with a country-ish opening for one particularly beautiful ballad, Yellow pink to blue by Sandcastles Chloe/Harley band partner, Hinano Fuisaki.  But most was not like that.  There was glorious, calm, slow, chordal grooves with occasional movements in pitch, signalled by a leader, or frantic free, or totally solo drums or guitar, or drums or guitar solos in context, guitar lightly picked but quick, a most glorious bass tone that both Harley and I were praising Chris for, or glorious sitting three part harmonised notes from tenor, trumpet and bass, moving in small intervals down on instruction, but improvised on harmony, and throughout a gorgeously pure trumpet tone, and Chloe's rhythmic excursions and occasional space.  All with performers physically coming and going for different pieces, and with a quiet and responsive audience.  The listening location fitted and the purpose was well served with some stunning floating, and just occasionally ecstatic, music.  What a pleasure.

Chloe Kim (drums), Harley Coleman (guitar), Ashley Ballatt (trumpet), Tom Fell (tenor, soprano saxes) and Chris Pound (bass) performed at Verity Lane for Alex Raupach's Louis Louis series.

War

War is overwhelming.  This concert by Robert Schmidli was overwhelming.  He had programmed two pieces written by East Europeans through WW2 and thereabouts.  Borkierwicz was the lesser known, but a Ukrainian who fled Germans and Communists and Nazis, ending up in Vienna.  The work was Three Fantasiestucke op.61 with movements named "Why?",  "A dream" and "... and the Awakening".  The other work was a major one, ~30 mins, the third of Prokofiev's war sonatas, Piano sonata no.8 Bbmaj op.84.  Suffice to say, a huge and complex and loud work, all manner of melody and harmonic changes, fast, virtuosic, hugely demanding.  Robert did a great job, perhaps admitting some slips but hard to notice with this discordant, intense, music of handfulls of notes.  Whatever, the audience was in awe at the end, and I was one.  Blaring and overwhelming.  Something like war, as mentioned.  We are lucky if this is as close as we get.

Robert Schmidli (piano) performed Borkierwicz and Prokofiev at Wesley.

Bonnets

Life has made me cancel my musical commitments over November: jazz gigs and preparation and performance of a few classical outings.  So when I got the opportunity to fill in over 9 days of HMS Pinafore I was thrilled and jumped at it.  The timing was perfect and I love pit work even if I have no time otherwise to partake.  It's four sessions to relieve bassist Mel Fung under MD Matt Greenwood for Gilbert & Sullivan's well known operetta presented by the Queanbeyan Players at TheQ.  Too late for rehearsals so it's a sight reading job with a instructions and changes over the phone and before the first performance.  The last 20 minutes before the first performance were busy moments!  But it's not too hard and the music is often recognisable.  My main preparation was just to listen to the music while following the score.  So far, it's 2 down and 2 to go and getting to be more relaxed.  Perhaps the strangest thing is interval: characters in gaudy costume and wireless mics eating sweet treats and the musicians in black.  It's a world of its own and a blast.  Great fun and thanks to Helen for the contact and Matt for the opportunity.

Queanbeyan Players presented HMS Pinafore at TheQ.  Eric Pozza (bass) covered for four performances under Matt Greenwood (musical director).

Sound and light out

I just caught a snippet of the long set, but it was intriguing.  This was a SoundOut gig located in the middle of Civic in an ex-hair salon (sounds the part!).  Bright lights and colour outside through the glass; colour projections inside from a series of film projectors of 8mm variety.  Authentic analogue, Interestingly complete with authentic analogue film loops.  Two projectors mostly, sometimes superimposed, otherwise side-by-side.  Seven musicians responding to this, in lines seated at the opposite walls.  The whole was noise, repetition, squeaks and sparks, drone noises and the like.  Two guitarists, trumpet, three winds of various persuasions.  There was an intriguing home-built synth, too, with pitch and modulations controlled by hand movements and a chip to respond to it all; small and mounted on a rough timber stand.  Unique.  This is the nature of SoundOut, that experimentation and noise that makes music with closed eyes for inquisitive audiences.  Sadly, not too many of them.

SoundOut presented Louise Canham (experimental film projection) with the Noise Floor Ensemble comprising George Kay, Jamie Lambert (guitars), Rhys Butler (alto), Richard Johnson (wind instruments), Rory Villegas (trumpet), Tom Fell (saxes) and Brian McNamara (invented electronic instruments) at Antics Hair in Civic.

What borders

I'd seen Hilary Geddes a few times before so I'm not sure why I was so surprised and impressed by her at Verity Lane the other night.  She was the guest, leading the band, mostly playing standards, perhaps one of two of her originals, playing with the house band, Chris Pound and Mark Sutton.  And John Mackey and Alex Raupach who sat in  later in the night.  Her presence was a clear influence, with abstruse solo lines and deliciously dissonant chords which twisted and distorted the backing, so what might be a standard solo just needed to be altered to fit.  Just what those were, I wasn't always too sure.  And she was such an influence despite a relatively low volume.  I thought too low, so sometimes a bit lost, but maybe that's another of her influences that made for a different music.  It all brought out strong, rudimentals-oriented drumming from Mark which is something I love to hear.  And Chris with a wonderfully strong, upper-mid-rich tone, quick lines, plenty of chordally aware playing through the range was a dream, even if he sometimes seemed a little reticent in the context, even while he was playing a storm with glorious tonality to my ears.  John responded too, although the colours and sheer speed of his cellular playing was an overwhelming storm of its own.  Alex was more lyrical as trumpets often are, but again explosive at times.  But that harmonic colour and abstruse soloing did it for me.  I spoke with guitar Greg after and we were musing over where the influences were from, from jazz but also from rock band exploits that Hilary indulges in.  I increasingly admire work across boundaries, within music and further afield, so I remain hugely impressed if a little perplexed about the whole, this night of standards in a noisy bar with a most intriguing new player.

Hilary Geddes (guitar) visited Verity Lane to play with the House Band comprising Chris Pound (bass) and Mark Sutton (drums).  John Mackey (tenor) and Alex Raupach (trumpet) also sat in.

Tilt-ish

Tilt was booked but could only provide one member for this Molly gig, so it was Eric with Ross Buchanan and Mark Levers.  I'd played with both before on different gigs and they are immensely practiced around town, so other than getting a list of tunes and perhaps some approaches (eg, Giant steps as a bossa) this was no big deal.  It was fun though.  These are standards so I'd played most before and if you can do a latin and a walk and you confirm the key you should be right (I was caught out once on the key this night but only for a few bars).  And do your chare of solos.  In the end, all was well this night.  Pretty loud, outgoing, energetic, responsive to suggestions from Ross, tight and playful.  Ross decided to use his e-piano rather than the house grand, for tuning and projection and varied sounds.  I enjoyed the Rhodes and the rest and was somewhat surprised by an organ for one blues.  Nice.  And I enjoyed occasional stops to listen to a drum solo.  Also picking up a few riffs from ear.  Along with the relatively lively audience, this was fun.  Two long sets (2 x 90 mins; 90 mins is what I think of as a rock gig), a decent break, a few pics and a video and a chat with some heavy metallists, no less, and this was a fun night.  Thanks to Ross and Mark; much enjoyed.

Tilt appeared at Molly, this night comprising Eric Pozza (bass) with Ross Buchanan (keys, birthday) and Mark Levers (drums).